Looking on the bright side

They were certainly in the minority.
Yet for varying reasons, three Virginia football players found the ability to flash smiles after Saturday’s lopsided loss to Southern California.
Jared Green had emerged. Jimmy Howell had survived. Denzel Burrell was
merely being Denzel Burrell.
During a contest filled with failure, the three Cavaliers offered reason for excitement.
Green, a redshirt freshman, caught three passes in his Cavalier debut, covering a total of 40 yards.
Howell, a true freshman, punted eight times for an average of 38.2 yards per attempt.
Burrell, a junior, was in on a pair of tackles and broke up a pass while seeing extended action at outside linebacker.
It was known that Burrell and Howell would see action, but Green’s emergence as a viable pass-catching option surprised many.
In fact, Virginia coach Al Groh said Green caught his attention just “seven or eight days” before the USC game.
“He started to show some of the things that showed up today,” Groh said. “What he’s starting to do is use his speed more. He is one of the faster players that we’ve had here, but if he doesn’t have the pedal to the floor, then he doesn’t play faster than other guys do.
“He’s starting to understand the value of his speed and definitely used it on a couple of those plays.”
Green explained that discovery.
“I feel like I just learned how to run,” he chuckled. “I just started to feel comfortable and go out there and have fun. Once you do that, your real talent starts to show.”
During his redshirt season, Green was sidelined for several weeks with a broken finger and struggled remaining consistent in catching passes. But on the first pass his way in the third quarter from quarterback Pete Lalich, Green squeezed the ball and gained 16 yards.
“A lot of people say, ‘Are you nervous?’ People ask you that all the way up until game time,” Green said. “I was kind of just praying for peace before the game and it just relaxed me. I was ready to go, but you can’t be nervous with a group like this.
“We are a family and all the guys are rallying around so you will be picked up soon if you are down.”
While Green emerged from beyond the depth chart, Howell knew coming into the game that he was Virginia’s top — and practically only — option at punter. The rookie from South Carolina also entered the contest expecting to see ample work.
History supported that claim — it marked the third straight game that Virginia punted eight times.
“Coach [Bob] Diaco told me that I would average about that many times, so I came in here knowing that,” Howell said. “Obviously, [USC] is a good team.”
With ample time created by a near flawless protection plan, Howell said he was allowed to focus on fundamentals.
“Every time after I would punt, the guys would come up and ask me if that was a good protection,” he said. “I could have eaten a sandwich back there. I had so much time. They did a fantastic job.”
Groh echoed Howell’s thoughts.
“I wish I felt as relaxed as he did that I would have had time to eat a sandwich, but the protection was good,” Groh said. “The punt team did a good job with the protection.”
There were concerns with the punt coverage unit. USC returned four of the punts for 42 yards, including a 17-yard return by Joe McKnight on Howell’s first attempt.
“Any time you give up a 16-yard return, I don’t care if it is Batman or Superman returning it, we expect better than that,” Groh said. “They would have had the ball on the 26-yard line, basically a 75-yard drive. By the time the ball was returned it was pretty close to a 50-yard drive, which was one of essentially six drives in the game that were 50 yards or less.
“That is something — no matter who it occurs against — that is harmful to the end result.”
Burrell, after a month-long battle with Aaron Clark, opened the contest as a reserve, but knew that the pair would split play. That rotation continued until the third quarter when Clark injured his knee and was helped from the field. 
“It is bittersweet. Clark and I were battling all throughout camp and when I found out Clark was starting and we would split snaps, I was very happy,” Burrell said. “I didn’t feel like coach would go with one guy because of our performance in camp.
“At the same time, it is bitter because I don’t want to win a starting job because Aaron Clark is hurt. I just wanted it to be a dogfight between us throughout the season with our performance. It just sucks that he went down, but it doesn’t look that serious right now and I hope it isn’t that serious. I hope he can bounce back next week because I don’t want it to be this way.”
Burrell’s worst fears were recognized Monday. Virginia announced that the MRI on Clark’s knee discovered a sprain. He is slated to have season-ending surgery, according to the team’s injury report.
“I am definitely going to be in his ear because I have been hurt before,” Burrell said. “It was just like his, early in the season. I am going to be in his ear to tell him to be strong just like he was in mine when he was saying, ‘Get after those USC Trojans.’ Unfortunately, we just couldn’t get it done.”